


Ampersand

by helvonasche



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Eventual Smut, F/M, Feelings, Fluff, Loss of Virginity, Slow Burn, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-05 18:15:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11018865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helvonasche/pseuds/helvonasche
Summary: An AU.. somewhere in the early 2000′s where Cas and all them are humans. I don’t know. I had an idea and I ran with it.Technically this is fulfilling an anon request for the 100+ Kink Challenge. First Time with Cas x Reader. Soo… Deal with that.





	Ampersand

[Picture not mine. It’s fucking gorgeous.]

This wasn’t the first time he’d seen her, but it was the first time he’d spoken to her. They didn’t belong in the same groups, but Gabe seemed to know everyone. Cas wandered around the yard, the traditional red solo cup filled with flat beer keeping his hands busy as he took in the crowd.

Out of seemingly nowhere, an arm was around his shoulders, pulling him down into a side hug as words laced with beer and weed spoke to him in a familiar voice, “Bout time, Cassie-tale.”

“Gabriel,” Cas replied as he wrapped his arm around his friend.

They’d known each other for years. Gabe and Cas had been awkward 13 year-olds with no sense of self and a dire need to play Pokemon Gold, and since then they’d been practically inseparable. Gabe was social while Cas kept to himself. Since Cas had started accruing tattoos, piercings, and more leather than anyone could consider practical, Gabe’s go to introduction sounded like something from a sitcom, ‘Don’t mind the ink and metal, he’s really a nice guy.’

Those words, those fucking words always made Cas shudder. He wasn’t offended or taken aback by them, he didn’t even think they were funny; they were just true. Castiel Micah Schwarz was nice, and he knew it. The black and body modifications, the makeup that he had taken to wearing, were all just expressions of something deep inside, a darkness that kept him company when he was too chicken shit to call someone or text back.

Gabe knew all of this. If he hadn't’ been insistent, he wouldn’t even know his best friend. It wasn’t that he needed Cas, but the idea of not knowing him was wrong, like trying to write with your nondominant hand. Despite their polar opposite appearance, Cas and Gabe had been tied together since the third day of 8th grade and neither planned on looking back. Gabe made the initial effort each time, but Cas always followed through. Their relationship was ideal, or as close to it as possible.

The two played catch up, talking about work and miscellaneous drama within their group. A few people came over to greet the host, and Cas would go quiet. Most were used to Cas being distant, he was hard to get to know, mostly because he didn’t want to know everyone. He wasn’t like Gabe. Cas observed the crowd as the group walked toward a picnic table when he saw her.

Cas’ brow knitted as he watched a few guys with her. He couldn’t get the first time he’d seen Y/N out of his head. She’d been so quiet, sitting in the corner of the classroom reading The Picture of Dorian Grey, her hair falling across half her face, and his heart stopped. No one in their rinky-dink town read anything unless it was an assignment, but there she was, reading one of his favorite books and completely engrossed in the world that Oscar Wilde created. Gabe had smacked the back of Cas’ head to get him to stop staring.

But Gabe hadn’t said a word about it. His discretion and seemingly automatic understanding of how Cas didn’t need something like a crush being broadcast to the world at large were a hallmark of their relationship. But there were a handful of exchanges between the two boys where the topic of Cas’ prolonged chastity was covered, in detail. Cas had tried to explain his position to Gabe, but it always left the other unsatisfied.

Gabe had insisted more than once that if Cas were gay, trans, or just uninterested, he didn’t care. He was worried that the only time Cas had ever shown any romantic interest in anyone was that one day in high school. Not that Cas needed a relationship, but Gabe worried nonetheless, knowing that if he didn’t bother to ask these questions no one else would.

Cas’ home life was bleak. His parents were distant, his older brother had left home when Cas was just a kid, and they just weren’t a family. Gabe’s family was close and they took Cas in without hesitation, but no one knew Cas like Gabe did. The reverse was true, but Gabe was open and free with people.

Brought out of his thoughts, Cas was focused on the four people that were walking toward the edge of the woods. When he heard Y/N’s nervous voice, even though he couldn’t make out what she had said, her tone was clear; she didn’t want to go with them. Nudging Gabe and gesturing toward the woods, Cas didn’t have to wait for his friend to get the hint.

“Hey!” Gabe shouted as he jogged toward the woods, Cas at his heals, “Y/N! Hey! You leaving already?”

Cas felt the now familiar shuttering in his chest whenever she looked his way, even when her eyes were tainted with fear, he could barely contain the smile that was for her. Catching up to the group that had stopped and turned to face Cas and Gabe, it was clear that Y/N had no business with the three men.

“Hi Gabe, Cas,” Y/N said in a weak voice, her eyes pleading for them to not let her go.

Simply nodding as Gabe started to chatter, diffusing the situation effortlessly, which now didn’t seem quite as ominous as it had when Cas had first seen. He barely registered that the three men, Mike, Luke, and Zach, had decided to leave than try to explain what they were doing going into the woods with Y/N, until Gabe muttered under his breath as they walked back to the party, “Next time, invitation only.”

“No shit,” Cas replied as he followed Gabe back toward the party.

He could feel someone walking next to him and knew it was her. Every thought focused on not tripping or accidently touching her hand, which would get dangerously close with each step as their hands swung naturally at their sides with each step.

Y/N took a few quick steps, so she was slightly ahead of them as she turned to Gabe, “Thank you-”

“Don’t mention it,” Gabe interrupted, “Never could stand those jackasses.”

Stopping in front of them, Y/N fiddled with the sleeve of her sweater as she said, “Seriously, Gabe. You didn’t hear what they were saying. Thank you.”

Taken aback, Gabe shook his head, “I didn’t… it was Cas. Wouldn’t have stopped anything if he hadn’t seen them. Cassie is highly observant.”

Cas’ eyes were wide for a split second, then he made a concerted effort to keep his expression flat, hoping that the blush he could feel burning his cheeks wasn’t noticeable. They were about halfway between the edge of the woods and where the outdoor portion of the party was, the lighting barely making it to where they stood.

Glancing at Y/N, Cas hoped that she would turn and keep walking. He didn’t know how to talk to her. He never had issues talking to people if he wanted to, but then there was Y/N. She didn’t make him nervous, it was worse than that. Y/N made him catatonic. He could barely function the few times he’d had to speak to her when they were in school, and now she was looking at him with gratitude; he couldn’t deal with this.

“I need a drink,” Cas muttered as he started walking again.

Gabe was close behind him, the laugh evident in his voice,  “Dude, you have a drink.”

Turning so his words would reach them, Cas said coldly, “Let me rephrase, I need a good drink.”

Y/N stood and watched as they walked away. She wasn’t ready to go back to socializing and exchanging pleasantries, but she didn’t want to be alone. Taking a deep breath, she followed behind Gabe, the only reason she was at the party, and asked, “Do you work tomorrow?”

Gabe grinned as he slowed down so Y/N could catch up, “Nope, you?”

“Nope,” she said, returning his grin, “Are there any good drinks?”

Holding his elbow out, Y/N looped her arm around his and they walked through the crowd into the kitchen. Cas was already pulling a bottle out of a cupboard, his glass waiting to be filled on the table as Gabe asked, “How do you always know where my stash is?”

Cas laughed, turned, and abruptly stopped. His eyes locked on Y/N’s, like they had been that first time, but Gabe wasn’t able to bring him back to his senses. Cas could feel time drag out and was thankfully taken out of it when Y/N asked, “Whiskey?”

His eyes slid down to the bottle he was holding about two inches above the counter, and back up to her, “Um… yeah?”

Gabe, ever helpful, slid two more glasses in front of Cas, “Fill em up.”

Focusing on pouring the whiskey, Cas was able to regain his composure. He reminded himself that he wasn’t some awkward teenager anymore, he was technically an adult, and he was able to talk to women. But she wasn’t a woman, she was Y/N. Concentrating on filling each glass, his mind continued to wander into dangerous territory.

Cas wasn’t completely sure how he felt about Y/N. She was pretty, smart, funny at times, but she didn’t stand out in a crowd, she was thoroughly normal. Kicking himself for being judgmental, Cas knew the only reason he stood out in a crowd was because he made himself stand out. He remembered the last time he had been home, his new tattoo was the last straw for his family, and he couldn’t have cared less. But in that kitchen, while he finished pouring the last drink, he began to worry if someone like her, someone normal for all intents and purposes, could ever see him as anything more than a novelty.

“Cheers,” Gabe said, tapping the other two glasses with his own.

Gripping the glass and staring into it for a moment, Cas muttered, “Fuck it,” and downed his shot.

Gabe eyed Cas as he set the now empty glass back on the counter, “Thirsty?”

“Yes,” Cas said, fighting back the urge to pull a face. He’d never been a fan of hard liquor, but could hold his own against Gabe.

Y/N looked between the two and in a moment of utter insanity, put the glass to her lips and slammed the entire drink. The two men stared at her as she delicately placed her glass back on the table and slid it back to Cas, a playful grin spreading across her face.

The evening carried on, Gabe playing host while Cas and Y/N did their best to kill the bottle of whiskey. Around 11, Gabe found them still in the kitchen laughing maniacally, Y/N holding the half empty bottle as if it were keeping her grounded and Cas bent over, his head resting on his arm.

“Having fun kids?” Gabe asked as he tried to pry the bottle away from Y/N. He could barely hide the satisfied smile as he watched two people who should have been friends, or more, finally talking. Gabe had known, or hoped he’d known, that Cas and Y/N would be good together, but forcing Cas to do anything was dangerous.

Jerking the bottle away and holding it close to her chest, Y/N said, “No, you can’t have him. I’m in love!”

Shaking his head as he wrapped his arms around her, Gabe said, “I’m not going to take him away, I just want another glass.”

“Slide your glass over, I’ll pour,” Y/N said as she slowly unscrewed the cap and filled Gabe’s glass, “That’s all. I can’t spare another drop.”

“It’s my whiskey,” Gabe muttered.

“I married him,” Y/N giggled, as she filled the other two glasses on the table.

Cas peaked at Gabe for a moment then pushed himself so he was sitting upright again, and in a matter of fact tone, he announced, “I was the witness, and officiant. May I introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Whiskey.” Gesturing at Y/N, Cas failed to maintain his composure and quickly dissolved into giggles.

Shaking his head as he watched Y/N and Cas laughing, Gabe had an idea. It wasn’t the first time, but he was not someone who gave up easily, not when what was at stake meant so much to him. Leaning on the counter, Gabe mock whispered, “Cas, do you know what I got from work?”

“Let me guess, a movie?” Cas asked.

Gabe grinned, “I work at a video store, so yes. It’s a movie.”

Rolling his eyes, Cas scooted his chair closer to Y/N, holding his hand up to block his mouth from Gabe while he asked loudly, “What movie is it?”

Her eyes narrowed at Gabe as she hissed, “Probably Titanic.”

Both Cas and Y/N booed and hissed at Gabe, who held up his hands and shouted over them, “Sin City!”

Y/N and Cas fell silent, Y/N the first to ask, “How?”

“I’m the manager, we got them in today but we can’t put them out until Tuesday,” Gabe took a few steps away from the counter as he finished, “So I grabbed a copy.”

Cas reached toward Gabe comically, his hands opening and closing quickly as he pleaded, “Gimme, gimme, gimme!”

“What about the party?” Y/N asked, biting her lip in confusion. She’d had more to drink than she should have, but didn’t think she had noticed the leaving on mass of the rest of their peers.

“It’s dying down, why don’t you two go upstairs and start,” Gabe said as casually as he could, “I have a few stragglers to kick out then I’ll be up.”

Standing uneasily, Cas saluted his friend, “I would be honored to start watching the movie without you, dick bag.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, cock breath,” Gabe said, returning the salute.

Her head in her hands as she fought to stop laughing, Y/N said, “I should probably head home, it’s late.”

Gabe panicked for a moment, “Um… stay here. I have a couch.” He didn’t necessarily think that they’d hit it off and jump at the chance to be alone together, but he needed them to see this through. Gabe was not going to give up, not when they were so close, and he had an idea, “None of us can drive, Y/N. Just stay here.”

Completely forgetting himself and the image he had spent almost a decade cultivating, Cas reached for Y/N’s wrist and tugged her arm playfully. “C’mon,” he whined, “I wanna watch the movie.”

As a victorious smile spread across his face, Gabe looked at Y/N who seemed stunned. No, Gabe had seen that look before. She was doing the same thing Cas did, she was paralyzed. Trying to assess if she was nervous or genuinely scared, Gabe didn’t have time to react before Cas jumped in. Walking around Y/N and placing his hands on her shoulders, guiding her out of the kitchen and toward the stairs, Gabe found himself shocked and in awe.

He didn’t know what had changed, maybe he missed something in the few hours they had spent drinking, but Cas was different. It probably wasn’t a permanent change, but it was something. Cas had opened up, to Y/N of all people, and after the shock started to fade Gabe smiled and shouted, “Hey! You forgot your husband!”

Y/N was shaken out of her daze, turning to place her hands on Cas’ shoulders, looking him dead in the eyes as she spoke in feigned concern, “We forgot my husband.”

Redoubling his grip on her forearms, Cas said in a really shitty British accent, “Fear not, I will retrieve your husband, m’lady.”

Passing Gabe on his way to the kitchen to grab the bottle and their glasses, Cas felt good. He’d never been this silly with anyone but Gabe, and it was just… good. Not ever in all his years of pining, yes he realized after the first hour that he had been pining over this girl since high school, had he ever thought she’d be like this. Easy to talk to, completely mental, and as interesting as he had hoped she would be.

His eyes met Gabe’s as he bounded back toward the stairs where Y/N had sat giggling to herself, when he stopped. His eyes narrowed and he asked Gabe, “What?”

Patting Cas on the shoulder, Gabe said quietly, “Nothing, it’s just…”

Cas steered Gabe a little further away from the stairs where Y/N was and asked, “Just what?”

Leaning close so Y/N wouldn’t hear what he was saying, “It’s nice to see you making new friends, Cassie-tale.”

“Shut up,” Cas muttered as he walked back toward the stairs, glancing back at Gabe before he moved the glasses and bottle to one hand and reached down to get Y/N moving again, “C’mon, we have some comic noir to watch.”

“Why are you speaking French?” Y/N asked as she got up and grabbed the bottle from Cas, “It’s rude.”


End file.
